Fair warning in advance, on the 6th and probably for a bit beyond, I might disappear for awhile. For those that know, the beta was sick and I can't wait to remake my character. For those of you that don't, Rogue Trader by Owlcat Games comes out, for all the normies it's basically BG3 but in Warhammer 40k where you play a Rogue Trader. Their whole stick is basically, "The LITERAL EMPEROR signed this here Warrant of Trade for my family back before the Horus Heresy, and it says I can do basically whatever the fuck I want short of treason and heresy."
Yeah, it's gonna be fun...
And our customary Guest response, appreciate you like it, but in regards to the fight, uh, no one got shot in the face, Cinder took a bolter round to the back, and if you look back on RWBY a bit, you'll have an idea just how powerful a bolt round is. And considering how big the projectiles for even a Bolt Pistol are, that would have probably defeaned Ruby in those conditions if not for Aura, that is all. You might want to reread the fight bro I think you might have misunderstood some things. As for Santus' Omnissian Axe, we will have to wait and see just how much it would hurt. Seeing how these weapons are specially made by the Mechanicus, it hurts.
A lot.
Anyway, putting away the hype, good heavens look at the time, it's seems like it's Mission Time for Beacon's first years! I'm sure nothing could go wrong, especially with a Space Marine in reserve.
Right?
Edit: Needed to fix typos, forgot to spell check, then deleted my chapter after doing spellcheck so had to do it again. Thanks internet, ya piece of shit.
"Sir, incoming call from Headmaster Ozpin, shall I put it through?" An ensign spoke up from the communications terminal as General James Ironwood stood calmly and confidently aboard the bridge of the Indestructable. And why shouldn't he be? He had gotten permission from Vale's Council to provide security for the Vytal Festival, and he even had recieved Ozpin's support to do so, presenting a united front.
Sure, perhaps he was not in overarching command, that responsibility was to remain with Ozpin, but his old friend was finally understanding what James had been worrying about, and that alone raised his confidence of finding out whatever schemes She had in mind for Vale.
"Send it through to my terminal." The General ordered in the relaxed tone of a senior officer knowing there was no need for formality yet. The Ensign nodded before swiping away a few times on his terminal. A moment later, Ozpin's face appeared on Ironwood's own.
"Good morning James, I take it your men are preparing themselves accordingly?" Beacon's Headmaster inquired with a polite smile, to which James returned.
"Yes, my command staff is working on informing my troops of their responsiblities for the Festival, as well as making sure they are on their best behaviour. I'm glad that we can work together to ensure the people's safety." James replied honestly.
Ozpin nodded appreciatively before he looked at James with a knowing expression.
"As for our...other matter to discuss?" He said cryptically, ever so like him, but once more James just rolled his eyes and nodded amusedly.
"My ship is maintaining combat readiness and I have three teams of Specialists on stand by for a hot drop. The second they call us in, we'll be on top of them before they can think to relocate." He confidently declared, though Ozpin seemed to have some kind of misgrieving in reaction to his words. "I take it you've informed your students regarding their first year missions?"
Ozpin sighed but nodded.
"Yes, though it seemed Miss Rose was not inclined wait to inform her teammates, given their lack of surprise and Miss Belladonna's...disapproval." Ozpin answered, though James was immediately curious regarding this, Miss Belladonna's, reaction.
Perhaps a question for another time. The team would soon be leaving if they followed their orders regarding departure time.
"I see. I am curious however, did your guest happen to decide to give the girls anything?" He asked, curious to see just how far the Techmarine's claims to serve Humanity went.
On the screen, Ozpin's expression turned to on akin to a grandfatherly figure with an bemused smile.
"Not as far as I am aware, though I do think they won't be leaving without saying goodbye first at least."
"I can't believe you told them..." Blake muttered frustratedly, even as Yang patted her partner on the shoulder. Even if she also rolled her eyes at the same time.
"Come on, Blake! You can't exactly be mad that Ruby fessed up to all we learned that when the teachers outright knew we'd have gone off anyway." She repeated for what felt like the third time this morning as Blake decided to be a whole mood once Ruby had told them where she had disappeared off to.
In truth, Yang had thought she disappeared to go and chat with Tech again, the socially inept wallflower her beloved sister was, but Weiss had been convinced that she could have been taken advantage of while Blake claimed she'd do anything to get away from Sun. Though Yang could tell she had been enjoying the guy's presence even if she didn't want to admit it.
And in all honesty? The main reason she was so calm about hearing her sister got into a potentially life or death fight was that, amazingly and concerningly, Tech just happened to want a midnight stroll through the school grounds.
Ruby had said that he claimed some 'machine spirits' had led him to the CCT about an intruder, and frankly Yang didn't know if that was the biggest lie she'd ever heard or so insane it was true. Because one way led to her sister being stalked by a nine-foot tall space super soldier and the other implied technology was haunted by ghosts.
So in typical Yang fashion, she'd proceed to just accept it and move on praying that it was nothing to worry about.
Besides them, Jaune coughed awkwardly.
"Uh...what did she tell the teachers?" The blonde guy asked, even as the rest of his team, and her own, stared/glared at Yang respectively.
"Heh heh, uh...woops?" Yang offered with an embarrassing attempt at a confident smile.
Weiss sighed before shaking her head and looking over at JNPR.
"We can't say, but it's important and both the Headmaster, Miss Goodwitch and General Ironwood are aware." She offered diplomatically, and though the sheer curiousity was clear in their eyes, or what passed as curiousity for Ren, they did not comment further as they reached the Forges.
"Remind me again why we are here?" Blake started muttering even as she glared down the corridor towards Forge 9.
Ruby rolled her own eyes before looking over at Blake and explaining, "We are going to visit him before we leave of course. It would be rude not to and we don't know how long we'll be gone and how long he'll be left by himself."
Behind them, Yang heard Ren quietly whisper something about not being sure if he'd even notice.
As they reached the door, it opened and the eight teens walked in. Tech was standing at a workbench, like usual, but arranged before him was a wide set of strange...things...
"Team RWBY, you have finally arrived." Tech greeted, before looking over at JNPR. "I was not made aware of any changes to the scouting force to Moutain Glenn, or shall Jaune Arc's squad remain on standby should you encounter resistance from the insurgent forces?"
Yang stared at him.
So did Weiss, and Blake, and to a lesser extent Ruby though her own face seemed to say she wasn't surprised by his question but should have expected it. Meanwhile, JNPR slowly turned to stare at them.
"Well...that explains Blake's mood?" Pyrrha offered in an attempt to be polite that quickly fell short.
"I take by your collective silence I am incorrect and this is merely a social visit?" Tech questioned, and Ruby nodded at him with empty expression. "I see. In truth, I'd suggest more forces to cover a wide area, however given the nature of these insurgents and your own misdirection attempts, such a show of force there would be uncharacteristic."
He gestured for the teams to walk forward.
"We actually just wanted to come and say goodbye before we go on our mission. Jaune decided to follow us..." Ruby explain with a quick annoyed look at Jaune, who just looked confused even as Pyrrha patted him on the shoulder.
The yellow giant looked over Team RWBY for a moment, as if silently judging them to some standard, before looked down at Ruby.
"Your manners are to be commended, though they are not nessecary." He commented, though Yang watched as Ruby's face twisted in confusion.
"Wouldn't you be lonely? I mean we could be gone for awhile and other then the teachers, we are the only ones that can talk to you." Her sister asked in quiet, uncertain voice, but the man just shook his head with a bemused smirk.
"Solitude is a old friend of mine, and I am never truly alone." Tech answered cryptically, but for some reason, Ruby's eyes widened slightly before she nodded. "Now, as you have arrived, I promised to aid you should you require assistance." That got Yang's attention, Ruby hadn't mentioned that the big man was willing to help them out if they ran into something too dangerous for them to handle, as unlikely as it was. Her memory was brought back to their first time seeing him, where he cleaved through fully grown Ursai like they were child's play and with an incredible aim.
Even if he was potentially a creep, she couldn't deny the idea of the giant armoured man backing them in a fight was very reassuring.
"As such, I have decided to equip you with...temporary gear to aid you in your task." Tech continued, his tone in no uncertain terms regarding where they would end up afterward. He picked up a strange, boxy device with a series of buttons and an electronic screen. It was small in his hand, but more in lines with a regular human to hold comfortable in their hand. "This is an Auspex, I've calibrated it specifically to locating large deposits of refined Dust, though it is by no means perfect, it should help you located their encampment." Weiss was the first to step up, surprisingly, as he held it over to them. The Heiress politely grabbed it from his open palm, before studying it.
"How do we use it?" Weiss asked in a professional tone that had Tech nod approvingly.
"Press the red triangle, that is the activation rune, when you arrive. It will begin automatically scanning for Dust deposits and, assuming my calibrations were correct, lead your team to the enemy base. However, it only has around fifty metres of range, and it depending on your building materials that range may be blocked or distorted." He shrugged apologetically.
Weiss nodded in understanding, before slinging her bag off her back and storing the strange scanner within.
"Well, beats just having to look around mindlessly. Got anything else for us Tech?" Yang asked with an eager smirk, and to her amusement, Tech raised his eyebrow before gesturing to some kind of metalic block with some kind of grip on the top.
Yang looked over it curiously, as did Ruby and Nora, though she had no idea what it was for.
Reaching over, the Lamenter placed a hand on the block, then flipped open a latch, revealing a trigger of sorts. Some kind of breaching charge?
"This is a Breacher Charge." He explained, confirming her thoughts, "Should you encounter heavily fortified emplacements, armoured vehicles or require an entrence or exit, use this. Ensure you are not nearby when it goes off however. You will not survive."
"I mean, I'm sure Aura could take it." Yang replied confidently, though she paused upon seeing his hard glare.
"This is an explosive electronic charge, that ignites a minute, directed sub-molecular reaction within a pressurized pyrum-petrol fuel mix capable of tearing through voidship hulls metres thick. You will not survive." Tech repeated in a warning tone.
Yang gulped, but nodded in reply.
Before anyone would moved to grab it, Nora was all but salivating over it, and even that didn't look like a sure thing by the line of drool in the corner of her mouth.
"That...IS SO EPIC!" Nora all but screamed in excitement so loud, even the big man flinched at the sound. "How much could it blow up!?"
Raising an eyebrow once more at the ginger, he shrugged.
"By your world's standards, it could probably level your CCT assuming it was positioned right." He confessed as silenced ruled the room, only broken by Ren whispering to Nora to wipe her mouth.
Without a word, Yang carefully picked it the probably very dangerous and volitile explosive.
"The casing should be more then robust enough from small arms fire, you may merely attach it to your belt, if you wish." He informed her, making her relax her arms that she hadn't even realised were insanely tensed.
"G-Gotcha." Yang confirmed, finding a spot on her hip to link a small hook on it to her belt.
"Unfortunately, that is all I can supply you with on such short notice." Tech announced, "Ideally I would construct comm-beads to link a vox system to my helmet, however I lack the time to do so. I trust these machines will aid you should you have need of them, and should you require reinforcements, I will accompany the General's forces."
At this point, it was Blake's turn to be her usual paranoid self, as expected when it came to things like, oh, the White Fang, Atlas Military, the Police and giant space engineers casually owning explosives capable of taking down the CCT with a single blow.
Let it be know, Yang cared for her partner, but she reaaaally needed to work on her people skills.
"What's in all this for you?" She questioned pointedly, "Why do you want to help stop the White Fang to the point you are giving us tools like these?"
Pyrrha was the first to react, stepping over to Blake with a forced smile at both her and the Lamenter.
"Maybe, you mean to ask Techmarine why he wants to help us when he has nothing at stake?" She attempted to say diplomatically, but Techmarine merely raised a hand towards her.
He gestured for Blake to step forward, without a hint of anger in her questioning.
"The girl demands to know why I would stand against the forces of Disorder if not for my own gain or satisfaction." He said simply. "That answer is simple. I serve to protect humanity from all that seek it's destruction, be they tempted by hatred, greed, desire or corruption. I see these, White Fang, as nothing more then mindless insurgents and traitors seeking to harm the greater whole."
Blake looked at him with a hard glare, but even then she looked somewhat pale.
"So, what? The fact Faunus fighting back against abuse and discrimination means they deserve to be arrested or killed because they fight humans?" She demanded, much to everyone's shock at her audacity.
Techmarine simply placed his hands on the workbench peacefully, even as his tenticles uncoiled from around his massive back pack and started roaming around the room, grabbing pieces of scrap metal and placing them in front of him.
He continued to say nothing even as he started to cut and weld them together in silence. Ruby motioned discreetly for them to leave, though Techmarine raised a hand to stop them even as he continued to work. It took him only a minute or two, and when he was finished, he had made a curious little series of globes and metal wiring linking them together around a single, larger globe. There was also a second, lone globe unattached to the mess of globes and wiring, yet had been pointedly marked with burns and scratches.
"This resembles the Badab System." Tech informed them, pointing down at the connected globes, as the two teams awkwardly started to walk back to the workbench, even as Blake continued to glare defiantly at him. "You claim I would kill any that stands against the established order. Here, hundreds of my brothers died fighting for a false cause we thought righteous, and betrayed by those we called friend, because we thought the High Lords overstepped themselves in their authority." He then pointed at the lone globe. "This, resembles a world called Corillia, where my brothers were forced to stand alone against a near unstoppable tide of destruction because our allies abandoned us over superstition, but we refused to abandon the world to be torn asunder and it's people butchered."
He looked over at Blake, his robotic stare piercing it's way through her own like a hot knife through butter.
"I have stared down abominations that still drive men mad from the very thought of them. I defend all of mankind from those that would consort with such power for the promise of aid for their own gain, yet you doubt this." Techmarine continued, "Yet I do not know why you would fight against your own, with your self-percieved notions suggesting you would be one of them. Yet you are not, so logically you do not support them, yet you would accuse me of mindless slaughter against them."
He gave Blake one last hard look, before tilting his head to the side.
"So tell me, Blake Belladonna, why do you fight to protect our species from those that would threaten our kind to oblivion for the sake of retribution?"
Blake recoiled as if she had been pushed, even as Yang stood next to her, even if she was terrified of what the Lamenter was telling them. Around them, both the rest of their team and JNPR closed around Blake in support.
Before anyone could speak, however, Techmarine turned away and went over to his forge, and began working on something.
"I do not wish for your answer now. I desire you think for yourself why you fight, and if such reasons are truly what you believe. Abhuman you maybe, you are still one of Mankind's children, and my duty is to protect mankind, For Only in Death Does Duty End." Techmarine dismissed them with a wave of his hand and that strange, grim quote.
Team JNPR had departed shortly after they had left Forge 9, seeing how their own mission would start tomorrow, while RWBY had arrived at the Bullhead docks in time to realise they had been assigned Oobleck as their shadowing huntsmen. Normally, the girls would have been aghast at his presence, but the Techmarine's words had left the four of them quiet and surprisingly uninterested in what was meant to be their first mission as huntresses, and on top of their unusual mission being to locate the White Fang as well.
Once they had arrived and cleared out a landing zone, the Doctor had requested Ruby only used Thorn's Light in case of an emergency to prevent any kind of watchers to report her peculiar weapon. She had huffed in disappointment, but followed the professor's instructions as requested. He had been shocked to learn that Techmarine had given them a scanner, even as Weiss was instructed to keep an eye on the device regularly to check for Dust stores around them.
The day was long, and by the end, neither student or professor found any sign of the White Fang, though Oobleck reassured his students that few searches ever offered results immediately. And the long stretch of quiet had left four girls in thought. Even as their professor had asked most of them pointed questions about why they become huntresses, the words of the foreign giant man continued to echo within them.
"Only in Death Does Duty End..." Weiss whispered quietly to herself while her team relaxed around a fire they'd made in an abandoned building as the sun began to set. "What kind of universe do we live in that leads to someone believing that?"
The rest of her team didn't respond immediately.
Yang was laying back in her bed roll, arms behind her head and eyes closed though she clearly was still awake, while Blake was sitting against a piece of rubble with her legs pulled close. Ruby herself was sitting on her bedroll, messing with Crescent Rose's inner mechanisms with Thorn's Light comfortably resting within arm's reach.
"I mean...he does have a point when you think about it." Ruby offered until Blake started staring at her.
"Why? What kind of point does that mean other then an obsession for conflict?" The former White Fang member asked the redhead, who simply shrugged.
"Well, as Huntresses we go out to protect people, and death is something that happens all the time to hunters. Even when they retire, they still are needed to protect others in the outlying towns and in case of emergencies." Ruby elaborated with an uncertain grimace. "And it's not like I'd stand aside if I saw someone in trouble even when I was older and less capable you know?"
Blake continued to stare at her, her expression one of confusion, frustration and a myriad of other emotions that flickered across her face.
"But no one forces you to do it, or would force you to die fighting when you might not have to." Blake replied. Ruby's face fell to focus on Crescent Rose, even as her hands clenched slightly, while Yang tilted her head towards her partner and opened a single, red eye.
"Yeah, maybe. But at the same time, a lot of hunters have decided to do that even if it was doomed. Like our Mom." Yang explained in an empty tone devoid of emotion. The Faunus' eyes widened and she looked over at Ruby with a shocked and apologetic expression, but Ruby just looked up and smiled thinly.
"We can't control what happened, but that doesn't mean we can't understand why she did what she did. And I think that is might be similar to what Techmarine meant." Ruby said in a comforting tone to Blake, who relaxed slightly seeing her team leader's calm.
Weiss fiddled with her hands for a moment uncomfortably.
"I think...we have no place to judge his beliefs when we don't understand. Pyrrha mentioned to me about him talking about something called a Carnifex, some alien monster that could tear Beacon apart with ease." Weiss mentioned as her eyes narrowed slightly in thought. "But you don't believe him about all that do you, Blake?"
Flinching, Blake looked at her feet uncertainly.
Silence reigned, only the crackling of fire and the sound of screws tightening to be heard.
"Perhaps, students, you should not consider where the man is from, but rather what led to such beliefs." A voice suddenly came from an alcove where Doctor Oobleck had chosen to sleep. "While I will admit I would very much enjoy to speak with the man once we return to Beacon, I will not act like I know his mindset well, but perhaps such a maxim is less a political belief, but more phrasing reminding him of his position? And if so, why might that be?"
Of his position?
"What lead to his beliefs? What do you mean Doctor?" Blake inquired in a perplexed tone. A moment later, and the familiar green hair of Oobleck popped out from the alcove.
"Tell me, Miss Belladonna, why do you doubt this stranger's word? Why is the idea he might just be an extraterrestial traveller is so unlikely in your mind?" Doctor Oobleck questioned in his usual, lecturer's tone.
Sitting back, all four girls contemplated the older hunter's words, but none dared to speak their thoughts.
With a sigh, the Doctor looked over the girls.
"Perhaps, the reason for this mindset, is because there is no other option left for his people."
The Doctor's words rang true, at least in Ruby's mind. What lengths would they go if the Grimm began to siege the Kingdoms? Or if aliens actually invaded? And wasn't that idea terrifying when someone openly knew there was evil aliens out there...
With a yawn, the Professor smiled at the girls comfortingly.
"Do not let this worry you, students. Out here, your only concern should be the Grimm and the White Fang. I suggest you leave the philosophy for when you can truly think undistracted. As we sleep, we will need a watch, so organise amongst yourselves for a roster. Out there, on your own, you will need to do some amongst the four of you, so I expect you to start practising that now." With his piece said, Oobleck disappeared behind his alcove once more. The faint rustling of the man's clothes could be heard for a moment, before nothing at all.
Ruby nodded, then stood up as she holstered Thorn's Light and raised Crescent Rose.
"I'll take the first watch, then I'll wake up Weiss at ten, then Blake at one and Yang at four." Ruby instructed as she walked over to a open hole in the wall of the building to watch the street. She could hear her team whispering amongst themselves, but few clear words. She sat by the hole and raised Crescent Rose and began scoping out the streets below them.
In truth, she was more concerned about what he had told them with those little models he had made. A whole planetary system and another planet where he, or at least his brothers, as he called them, had fought back against injustice and prejudice to do what they thought was right.
Yet despite that, she could see the sadness in his cybernetic eyes when he spoke of them...
"Tell me, Jaune Arc, what brings you here alone tonight?"
Jaune flinched in surprise at Techmarine's question as he walked into Forge 9.
"I...well, I wanted to ask you about something you asked earlier today." Jaune admitted, fingers tapping Crocea Mors' handle in an irregular, uncertain pattern.
Techmarine looked up from the strange sword Jaune had spotted a few days ago that looked like the demented hybrid of sword and chainsaw straight from a madman's mind.
"Is that so? What do you specifical wish to discuss?" Techmarine asked, his voice tinged with curiousity.
"Well...I wanted to ask about what those models you made were about. The one where you talked about how you were abandoned to defend a planet by yourselves. Why?" Jaune asked.
The story had stuck with Jaune all day, even if it wasn't something directed at him, it had disturbed him to hear that Techmarine's chapter had been left to fight against who knows what alien threat over supersitition.
Techmarine narrowed his eyes at Jaune.
"Why do you wish to know of Corillia?" He demanded simply, his mechanical tone even and menacing.
Jaune felt his spine shiver at his word, but he stepped forwards regardless, coming to a stop on the opposite side of the bench.
"I mean, you've told me and Nora about those Tyranid things before, if something like that was attacking your people, why would they refuse to fight with your chapter?" Jaune asked as he elaborated his reasoning, "Like, what about all the people at risk of being killed by alien invaders? Wouldn't it be their duty to defend them?"
Techmarine continued to stare into Jaune's very being with his cold, robotic eyes.
Before he sighed, and gestured for Jaune to relax.
"In truth, that was their duty as Astartes, but the Mortifactors Chapter believed my chapter cursed, and would sooner abandoned us to death then fight by our side." Techmarine revealed, making Jaune frown in confusion.
It made sense, given he had said it was superstition, yet to outright abandon a planet over it?
"That is ridiculous of them, what kind of superstition could make them think that was the right thing to do?" Jaune questioned rhetorically.
Opposite of him, Techmarine said nothing, but Jaune could almost feel the melancholy coming from the Lamenter.
"A story, for another time perhaps, Jaune Arc." Techmarine said in a tone of finality. Jaune, seeing the dismissal for what it was, didn't asked why he was uncomfortable about it.
The giant man's eyes drifted to the sword at his side.
"May I see your blade?" He asked suddenly, and Jaune looked down at Crocea Mors in confusion for a moment, before drawing it peacefully and extending the shield out. "I do find your curious 'mechashift' most intriguing." He commented as he ran a finger across the blade, before gently tapping the shield with the same amount of impact as someone banging a hammer against the shield. "Quite durable as well. And it also seems to be somewhat conductable..."
Eyes narrowed, Jaune looked up Techmarine.
"I mean it's made from Dust Alloys, like most other huntsmen grade weapons. It's incredibly durable and apparently helps control dust weapons." Jaune explained, uncertain. Did he not look into it already given his tech knowledge?
"I see. Most curious..." Techmarine commented to himself as his eyes drifted over to his axe for a moment, before shaking his head dismissively. "A concept for later, I presume your own team will be leaving soon for these, missions?"
Jaune, seeing the segue for what it was, nodded.
"Yeah, Ren picked a mission to a villiage he and Nora used to live in for awhile, I figured it ought to be interesting." Jaune answered as he collapsed his shield and sheathed his sword. "We'll be shadowing a sheriff investigated suspected Grimm attacks."
Techmarine nodded approvingly.
"It is wise to investigate suspecious activities like such. Even if they prove fruitless, it is commendable to see to the safety of outlying settlements." He said with a smile that made Jaune straighten somewhat in pride. "If you'd like, I learned a little during my service in the Deathwatch under Inquisitor Forthax when it comes to investigation. Perhaps I could offer insight for your objectives?"
Jaune eagerly leaned forward with an excited nod as Techmarine began to speak about some kind of alien black market...
"You once told me, Only in death does duty end. If this is my duty, then okay then. It's the right thing to do even if I fall, it won't be by your hands, I promise."
Well, there it is.
So, bit of an impact from Santus, though none of his POV this time, Blake plays risky games, but doesn't get the Transhuman Dread today, people noticing things, Jaune getting some one on one time with our boy, and oh, what is this?
Not gonna lie, I love it when I hide future plot points and I eagerly wait for reviews that acknowledge them, then get sadistic pleasure when no one notices the hints. Ah I am crazy...
Anyway, any advice or criticism is always appreciated, A.D.